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8 New Delhi ● Tuesday ● 18 May 2010

AGE
THE

Manish Tewari Linking terror Digvijay con-

Issues
for bans on to a religion gratulates NIA
organisations is wrong, said for chargesheet
that are linked BJP’s Nirmala against Sanatan
to terror. Seetharaman. Sanstha.

MALEGAON

Different take BLAST KEY

PLAYERS,
THEIR ROLES:

on patriotism PRAGYA SINGH

THAKUR
Originally from

M
atrabhumi or
motherland is a
recurring theme
during daily
prayers at the Saraswati Bal
Mandir, a higher secondary
school affiliated to the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh at Lajpat Nagar in the
national capital. “Tell me,
what’s wrong in asking the
students to be patriotic?” the
school principal, Mr Ram
Gopal Agarwal, asks.
He denies that the school is
espousing any ideology. “It
is wrong to believe that
Saraswati Bal Mandir
schools are teaching any-
thing different from other
schools. We follow NCERT
syllabus and our schools are
affiliated to the CBSE.”
Padma Kant, a farmer,
awaiting his grandson’s
proselytise by Christian mis- Indore, had
sions continue unabated. shifted to
Even armed revolt has been Surat. The
engineered (eg, in Naga- motorcycle, on
land) to carve out independ- which the
bomb was planted, allegedly
ent Christian provinces. belonged to her. Was arrest-
Such activities receive ready ed on September 24, 2008.
support and unlimited funds
from foreign countries and
agencies keenly interested in DAYANAND
destabilising Bharat.” PANDEY
However, a senior RSS
functionary, Mr Rakesh Is believed to
have had talks
Sinha, argues that the “RSS with members
is not some underground involved in the
militant organisation target- attack. He had
ing the minority community. recorded con-
Our work is related to social versations in which he is
development, not anti-social heard instigating them to cre-
activities. Is there any proof ate a Hindu nation.
to link us with those
involved in the Ajmer or SHIVNARAYAN
Malegaon blasts?” KALSANGARA
Former Bajrang Dal chief
and Vishwa Hindu Parishad A resident of

TERROR’S HINDU FACE

admission, says that he
chose this school because “I
have been associated with
the RSS.” The school
“stresses on discipline and
doesn’t exploit in the name
of fees” and children, he
says, need to be “moulded in
a certain way.”
The RSS was founded in
1925 by Dr K. Baliram
Hedgewar, a doctor from
Nagpur. A social-cultural
leader Prakash Sharma is Indore, is an
less conciliatory. “Agar ye expert electri-
appeasement policies roki cian and
nahien gayee, to iska pari- mechanic. He
nam aage chal kar was arrested
on September 24, 2008, on
bhayankar ho sakta hai,” (if charges of being involved in
these appeasement policies the blast conspiracy.
are not stopped, it may have
dangerous consequences). With the role of Hindu right-wing organisations in spreading terror
He went on to stress that the
coming to light, there is speculation that the home ministry might set SHYAM
majority of bomb blasts in BHAVARLAL SAHU
the country were linked to
Muslim terror organisations.
up a cell to counter Hindu militancy. A resident of
Indore, ran a

organisation, it shot into the
limelight in 1948 after the
assassination of Mahatma
Gandhi by a former RSS
member, Nathuram Godse.
Many prominent leaders of
the outfit were arrested and
it was banned on February 4,
1948. The ban was lifted
after the RSS leaders were
acquitted.
The RSS has expanded
rapidly over the years and
though there is no official
data on the number of RSS
members, it is conjectured
that it has over 10 lakh mem-
bers or swayamsevaks and
organises over 25,000
shakhas across the country.
There has been much
debate and controversy
about the RSS ideology. The
RSS founder, Hedgewar,
said, “Even if the British
leave, unless the Hindus are
organised as a powerful
nation, where is the guaran-
tee that we shall be able to
protect our freedom?”
The RSS website says:
“His (Hedgewar’s) words
have proved to be prophetic.
Conjointly with Indepen-
dence, parts of Punjab, Ben-
gal, Sindh and the frontier-
areas were sundered from
Bharat; and, four and a half
decades after the nation’s
attaining freedom, Kashmir
remains a thorn in the flesh.”
It goes on: “Continuous
efforts have been there to
make Assam a Muslim-
majority province. Likewise,
no-holds-barred efforts to
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the
Malegaon blast.
The Bajrang Dal and the
Durga Vahini are the youth
wings (of men and women,
respectively), of the VHP. A
member of the Bajrang Dal.
However, the Bajrang Dal
describes its activities as
being confined to “protests
against insults hurled at
Hindu Maan-Bandhus,
Hindu traditions, Hindu con-
ventions and beliefs etc…
protests against vulgarity,
obscenity on television and
through beauty contests and
oppose illegal infiltration.”
The Durga Vahini or Army
of Durga, the young
women’s wing of the VHP
was established in 1991 by
Sadhvi Rithambara, one of
the accused in the Babri
Masjid demolition case.
A senior VHP functionary
reads aloud the VHP web-
site’s version of the role the
Durga Vahini played when
the Babri Masjid was demol-
ished: “The blood-stained
scenario in Ayodhya on that
day rather forced them to
forsake their normal female
tenderness and affinity and
assume a most splendorous
form by creating a living,
sturdy women’s wall around
to protect their brothers who
were being assaulted by the
security forces with lathis
and bullets.” An RSS func-
tionary denies that any RSS
activist is involved in any
terror incident.
Contributed by Prashant
Pandey and Yojna Gusai.
T
he National Investiga-
tion Agency (NIA) on
Monday filed a saying, “Hindus and Muslims can-
chargesheet against 11
members of the Hindu
outfit Sanatan Sanstha in connec-
tion with the 2009 Diwali-eve
blasts in Margao at Goa that killed
two persons. The intelligence
agencies are now trying to find out
whether other Hindu organisations
were linked with the Sanstha.
Those chargesheeted include
Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik,
who were killed when the bomb
went off accidentally at Margao
before it could be planted. Besides
Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik,
the chargesheet has named Vinay
Talekar, Vinayak Patil, Dhananjay
Ashtekar and Dilip Mangaonkar,
all of whom are currently in jail.
The absconding accused are
Prashant Juvekar, Sarang Akolkar,
Jayaprakash alias Anna, Rudra
Patil and Prashant Ashtekar.
NIA investigations have revealed
that Dhananjay Ashtekar prepared
12 circuits of the explosives in
Pune of which five were brought to
Goa in August 2009. The IED was
prepared with the help of gelatine
sticks and test-exploded in the jun-
gles adjoining Talaulim village on
August 24-25, 2009 behind the
house of Laxmikant Naik, brother
of deceased accused Yogesh Naik.
The investigators, according to
the chargesheet, have found that
during the test explosion, Malgon-
da Patil, Yogesh Naik, Vinay
Talekar, Dhananjay Ashtekar,
Prashant Juvekar, Sarang Kulka-
rni, Jayaprakash and one more per-
son were present. The chargesheet
mentions that Dilip Maganokar
was active in the conspiracy and
unexploded material was found in
his possession.
Incidentally, the Santan Sanstha,
often referred to as a cult, was
founded by Jayant Balaji Athavale
and while some claim that it has
links to the RSS and its religious
wings like the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad, the Sangh denies the
claims. Apart from it’s so called
“presenting spirituality in a scien-
tific language”, there have been
allegations of this cult trying not
only to target minority communi-
ties but also rival groups. Chief of
Dharamshakti Sena — an outfit
linked with the Sanstha — Mr ing were Devendra Gupta, Chan- Similar to the Malegaon blasts, mobile shop.
Pankaj Bagul had gone on record drashekhar Patidar, Vishnu Patidar,
the needle of suspicion had at first Sahu was
Sunil Joshi and Vinod Patidar. veered towards Muslim terror out- arrested on
not be like brothers. The Sanstha’s Five people of the minority com-fits during the Macca Masjid blast September 24,
role was also suspected in the Sep- munity were killed in a powerful on May 18, 2007 in Hyderabad. 2008, on charges of being
tember riots at Miraj in Goa. blast in Malegaon in Maharashtra Nine persons were killed and 58 involved in the Malegaon
In 2008, bombs were triggered at and one boy was killed in the were injured. Muslim youths were blast conspiracy.
the Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium explosion in Modasa in the arrested and tortured but three
in Vashi, and the Gadkari Rangay- Sabarkantha district on September years later, it is now emerging that
atan in Thane. The theatre man- 29, 2008. Though the police first the blast could traced to those con- SAMEER
KULKARNI
agements had disregarded protests suspected the banned Students nected with Abhinav Bharat.
against the play Ambhi Pachpute. Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) The next serial blasts after An ex-member
Ramesh Gadkari, Mangesh behind the blast, the breakthroughHyderabad were at the Ajmer dar- of ABVP, was
Nikam, Santosh Angre and Vikram came when they traced the origin gah on October 11, 2007 in which affiliated with
Bhave were arrested in connection of the two-wheeler used in the three were killed and 30 injured. A the Abhinav
with the bombs. They were blast to Gujarat. It was then found
few days after this, Sunil Joshi and Bharat.
activists of the Hindu Janajagruti that the motor cycle belonged to Vinod Patidar were found dead at According to
Samiti (HJS), an ultra-right Hin- Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, a their respective houses in Indore. It ATS, he was the “main brain”
behind the blast. Arrested on
dutva political group which the former Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi is suspected that Joshi and Patidar October 28, 2008.
Sanstha lists on its website. Pratinidhi who had sold the motor-were “silenced” since they were
After the chargesheet, it is being cycle to an acquaintance. “A com- reportedly “becoming weak links.”
There were initial speculations RAMESH
and reports that Joshi was a RSS UPADHYAY
SANATAN FACTS pracharak, which the Sangh has
He was con-
denied.
THE SANATAN SANSTHA WAS ESTAB- The agencies started suspecting duit between
LISHED IN IN 1990 BY JAYANT BALAJI Kulkarni and
the involvement of the original army men, for
ATHAVALE. ITS MAIN OBJECTIVE IS gang members behind the two
APPARENTLY TO “CREATE A FEELING OF the guidance
deaths only after the arrests of and procure-
UNITY AND FRATERNAL SOLIDARITY Devender Gupta, Chandrashekhar ment of explosives. Was
AMONGST ALL THE HINDUS.” Barod and Vishnu Patidar. While arrested on October 28,
IT HAS BRANCHES IN INDIA AND ABROAD. Gupta was held from Ajmer on 2008.
◗ On December 15, 2008 the Sanstha and April 28, Vishnu Patidar and
Hindu Jagran Smriti began telecasting spiritu- Chandrashekhar Barod were
arrested from Indore on May 1 LT. COL. PRASAD
al channel Sree Sankara. According to reports, SRIKANT PUROHIT
the channel was inaugurated by this year. Attempts by central
Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi agencies and the ATS to get the He was
Jayant Balaji Kamakoti Peetham and former Karnataka files of these dead conspirators picked up by
Athavale governor, Rameshwar Thakur. from the Madhya Pradesh police, the ATS for
a BJP-run state, have failed to questioning on
evoke any action so far. Two other October 31,
masterminds, Swami Asimanand 2008. Police
speculated whether the home min- mon intention to take revenge from and Ramnarayan Kalsangara are sources claim he had provid-
ed training to the executors
istry will now consider setting up a members of the other community reportedly hiding in Gujarat and of the blasts.
separate cell to counter Hindu mil- in the wake of several blasts in the Karnataka, both saffron-ruled
itancy. Recently, the AICC general country brought together the plan- states.
secretary, Mr Digvijay Singh, met ners and executors of the blasts,” SHAILESH
and urged the home minister to set said an Anti-Terrorism Squad offi- Contributed by Dippy Vankani, S. RAIKAR
up a cell for Hindu militancy. cer, requesting anonymity. The Pramod Kumar, Sridhar
In May 2002, 11 persons gath- ATS had to face a lot of criticism Kumaraswamy, U. Sudhakar An administra-
ered at a house at Panchmari in from Hindu groups including Reddy and Namrata Biji Ahuja. tor of the
Madhya Pradesh to “teach minori- political parties like the BJP and Bhonsla Mili-
tary School,
ty communities a lesson.” They all the Shiv Sena for the arrests. >> BLAST RECORD Nashik, Raikar
had links with the Sangh Parivar, Lt. Col. Purohit and Pragya was detained
which they claimed to have Thakur were the members of Abhi- September 8, 2006 for suspected involvement.
snapped ties with. The meeting nav Bharat, headed by Ms Himani, Malegaon blast He was picked up for ques-
was presided over by one Swami the grand-daughter of Veer November 11, 2007 tioning on November 1.
Ashimanand. Savarkar. Purohit reportedly
During the meeting a plan was revealed that Pragya Thakur and Ajmer blast
chalked out to carry out blasts in Sunil Joshi were disciples of May 18, 2007
minority-dominated pockets Swami Ashimanand. He revealed Macca Masjid blast
across the country. Some of the the name of Devender Gupta and October 16, 2009
members who attended the meet- linked them to the Malegaon blast. Goa Blast

Right-wing groups’ cash sources dubious

RASHTRIYA year during Gurupurnima
when a month-long func-
SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH tion, called “Gurudakshi-
PRAMOD MUTHALIK
money by “staging riots ABHINAV allegedly assured Purohit strengthen the organi-
and other such activities BHARAT over telephone that a cer- sation. “However, once
AND SRI RAM SENE for its clients.” There are tain amount had been the central investigating

T he Rashtriya Swayam-
sevak Sangh (RSS)
has always been an enig-
ma. There are no official
records of the swayamse-
vaks or volunteers and the
organisation’s fundings
have often been ques-
tioned. The RSS inciden-
tally is a registered socio-
cultural organisation and
the only available record
of members is that of its
national council, which
varies between 2,000 and
2,005.
Funds are raised every
na” is organised. Most of
these functions are organ-
ised at the local level by
the shakhas where the
swayamsevaks place
envelopes with money in
front of the saffron
“dhwaj” (flag). “Nobody
knows the amount inside
the envelopes,” an RSS
functionary said. The
money collected at the
local levels by the mukhya
shikshak or the shaka head
is sent to the district unit,
from where it goes to the
state unit and finally to the
central unit.
R am Sene’s Pramod
Muthalik and his
alleged “rent-a-riot”
scheme have ruffled a few
feathers in the saffron
quarters in the recent past.
Muthalik joined a shakha
at an early age and was
later shifted to Bajrang
Dal. In 2004, he snapped
ties with the RSS and
accused the Sangh of “not
promoting the Hindu
cause.” He floated Sri
Ram Sene in 2007. If
reports are to be believed
the organisation raises
conflicting views on the
pattern of funding of right
wing organisations like
Sri Ram Sene and Hindu
Yuva Sene.
“Obviously they raise
money through extortion,”
an officer said. However,
the state convenor of Sri
Ram Sene, Mr Vilas
Pawar claimed that the
organisation accepts dona-
tions from five hundred
rupees to Rs 50,000.
“And we make it a point
to give receipts to those
who donate funds,” he
said.
R adical Hindu outfit,
Abhinav Bharat, was
the brainchild of Lt. Col.
Purohit, an accused in the
2006 Malegaon blast.
Investigations have
revealed that it was Puro-
hit who initially arranged
the funds for the outfit.
Sources in the investigat-
ing agency say that Puro-
hit met top leaders of radi-
cal Hindu organisations,
including VHP leaders, in
Nashik and discussed the
Abhinav Bharat concept
and its funding. “Later, a
section of VHP leaders
arranged for the outfit. In
August, 2007, Abhinav
Bharat reportedly received
Rs 2 lakh from some lead-
ers belonging to radical
Hindu organisations,”
sources revealed. Howev-
er, in 2008, Abhinav
Bharat reportedly snapped
ties with the other Hindu
outfits and decided to go it
alone.
Ms Himani Savarkar,
chief of Abhinav Bharat,
said that the members of
the organisation were
asked to make contribu-
tion with a view to
agencies and anti-terrorist
squads of the states began
defaming us, we stopped
the process,” she added.
As far as the Ajmer and
Malegaon blasts are con-
cerned, officials said that
these blasts did not
require huge funds. The
agencies are now looking
into reports that the outfit
has started receiving funds
from a section of govern-
ment employees.
Contributed by Sanjay
Basak, Pramod Kumar
and Bhaskar Hedge.